Survival of the Fittest
Lane battlers are some of my favorite games. Even though I can never get my wife to duel me, I find solace in friends who are always down to battle. Some of my favorites include Radlands, Compile: Main 1, Air, Land & Sea, and now, Desperate Oasis. Contained in this small but mighty box is an animal battle of epic proportions over a desert watering hole. At first glance, the box may look like a 1950s carton of cigarettes, but inside is the same addictiveness—without the harmful carcinogens. The more you explore the oasis, the more love/hate relationships you develop with the seemingly innocuous animals. You’ll curse their existence, then applaud them nonetheless. The desert is a dangerous place, but only one pack of animals will taste that sweet, sweet water, making victory all the more refreshing.
Thirst and Tactics
Desperate Oasis is a two-player lane-battling, area-control skirmish that plays in about fifteen minutes. This handsome box of cards is published by Weast Coast Games and comes from the mind of Dan Cassaro. The incredible retro art comes courtesy of Young Jerks and Brett Stenson. Players will strategically place cards in different “oases,” claiming each lane based on total power. After three rounds, the highest score wins—sending the other player back into the harsh desert without a drop to drink.
Over three rounds, five oases are presented with varying point values, including negatives. On their turn, players can either place two face-up cards on their side, one face-down on the opponent’s side, or one face-down on their own. Each animal type has a special power that activates when played. These range from mimicking the power value of the animal next to it to creating a fourth column placement (normal max is three), to destroying the lowest-valued animal on both sides. If a player plays a third of the same animal, they can use a palm tree token to “bet” on that lane, boosting its value by one at the end of the round. But animals have herd mentalities! If the same animal is placed in an adjacent column, it will automatically pull its kind over. Some oases even have “portals,” allowing animals to be pulled from the other side. The watering hole is chaos. At the end of the round, face-down animals are revealed, with their powers activating—scrambling laid-out plans. Oases are scored, the deck reset and play continues until three rounds are completed.
He Who Controls the Water, Controls the Universe
Hands down, this is one of my favorite games of 2024 (bleeding into 2025). I discovered this charming little box at PAX Unplugged last December, drawn in by the art. The old-school mid-century advertisement style was an instant hook, but the demo quickly solidified my interest. I could go on forever about how much I love the art, but it’s only one of the factors that makes this game incredible. Little jokes are written inside the box, the rulebook, and even the cards themselves. My favorite animal is the Scimitar Oryx—the only animal without a power—whose card states, “My power is believing in myself.” Amazing. Or shift focus to the small but powerful Egyptian Jerboa, which is only valued at one but negates the mighty Desert Elephant (power five) because, hey, elephants are scared of mice. Incredible.
The game is snappy and tactical. I felt like I was playing chess, as I had to adapt to each of my opponent’s moves. The entire game, you’re running number probabilities in your head, figuring out the perfect time to play specific cards. Every placement is crucial. The added drama of revealing face-down cards creates tension, proving that no laid plans are ever guaranteed. Playing face-down landmines is a satisfying move—until your opponent anticipates it and plays a counter of their own. The drama is further heightened by the fact that not every animal may make it into your hand, leaving the lingering risk that your opponent could play one that steals your beloved herd.
I’ve mentioned that my wife doesn’t like head-to-head battle games, but even she was a fan of this. The game doesn’t feel like a “take that” experience so much as a game of Onitama. You’re going to lose animals, and you’re going to lose oases. The game is about balancing the lanes carefully to keep the upper hand. Every animal type feels balanced, and my matches have ranged from razor-thin victories to complete blowouts. The end of every duel immediately sparks a “let’s run it back” feeling, and I could play for hours on end.
Desperate Oasis is a surprise masterpiece, and I hope more gamers discover this gem. Players will feel the heat and pressure year-round, but the cool sip of victory is the ultimate thirst quencher.
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